This invention relates to a combining drawing system for combining a plurality of objects to form one composite drawing.
Hitherto, a combining drawing system for combining a plurality of objects such as images and text for print, display, etc., has been known. In the combining drawing system, generally a template is used to draw user-entered objects in a predetermined layout.
The template describes information to specify a rectangular drawing area and layout coordinates indicating where each object is laid out for the rectangular drawing area. Specifically, for example, a print template is defined for each print paper size and for each orientation (portrait or landscape), etc., and describes information to specify the paper size and orientation and the object layout coordinates. Generally, the layout coordinates are defined by a coordinate system with the upper-left corner of a rectangular drawing area as the origin point.
However, with a template in a related art, if a rectangular drawing area fluctuates at the output time, it is feared that an object may extend off the rectangular drawing area. Specifically, for example, if a template to print with an image placed in the whole of paper of a certain size and a title character string placed in the lower-right corner of the paper is used to print on paper smaller than the paper defined in the template, the right margin and the lower margin of the image and the title character string extend off the paper.
If a template defines the layout of a plurality of objects, the relative positions between the objects may vary depending on the output device difference. For example, if a template defines the layout of a plurality of variables corresponding to a plurality of rectangular frames making up a zip code entry frame and digits making up a zip code, the relative positions of the zip code entry frame and the zip code may be misaligned depending on the printer difference. To align a zip code entry frame and a zip code in a printer, a plurality of rectangular frames making up the zip code entry frame and the digits 0 to 9 making up the zip code need to be aligned separately. Thus, to set parameters required for relative alignment among a large number of objects, a complicated man-machine interface becomes necessary.